


Crimson Night

by LadyGinoza



Category: Psycho-Pass
Genre: Detective, Vampires, fucking blood suckers man, other things
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-29
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2018-07-18 22:15:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7332808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyGinoza/pseuds/LadyGinoza
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some things are never as they seem and evil can be found under many forms.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Kougami**

On some days, I can’t help but wonder why I even bother with all of this shit that plagues this world. Sometimes, I wonder why I just don’t live my life without having a single care in the world. But then, a curve ball hits me right in the face to shake me up. It reminds me exactly why I do what I do and frankly that’s all I need to keep me going.

I have to admit, I didn’t always have this mentality. I used to not care what happened to others because all I cared about was myself. No one mattered other than me and then everything changed. My life as I knew it was upturned and it took me a while to see what Pops saw but now I see it clearly as day.

I feel like it’s my obligation to do what I can now that I’m no longer human. Someone has to…

It really doesn't matter if you’re a human, or a blood sucking freak. There are always some who will want to cause harm to others for their own enjoyment just because they can. The world is full of misfortunes and it always seems to fall on the good people and the bad ones just keep on thriving. 

I used to be one of those bad ones. I took everything for granted and I lived my life selfishly. In the end, I paid the price for my actions and yet for some reason, Pops thought that I deserved to live.

The truth is, I didn’t want to die. I feared death and in that moment I was ready to accept any bargain to escape my fate. The thing is that, I didn’t really believe that Pops could save me. After that he did, I couldn’t accept my fate so I fled and I cursed the world for what I had become. 

I was angry at myself that I had lost my humanity due to my own ignorance and selfishness. But, it’s during those moments of despair that I came to realize what the world really was. It opened my eyes to the truth.

In my rebellion, Pops never abandoned me even though I thought at the time that he had. The truth is, he never let me out of his sight. He waited patiently for my return and when I was ready, there he was to raise me back up on my feet to guide me on the right path.

Humans are ignorant creatures. If there’s someone who knows this, it’s me. I was one of the most ignorant piece of shit that ever walked this earth. But, once I opened my eyes to the truth of this world, I realized just how fragile I really was.

Most humans have absolutely no idea that vampires exist. They make up stories about us but only a minority of people do believe that we are actually real entities. But in a way, it’s a good thing. 

Humans always hate things that they can’t understand. The things that they don’t understand, they destroy. So, I can only imagine the madness that would ensure if many would know that we are here. A total panic would definitely erupt and things would just go into complete madness from there, I’m sure.

For the sake of the world, our existence must remain a mystery to the majority of society. We must remain a secret in order to protect those who would not be able to understand. But then again, our secrecy of existence is the main reason why humans are not safe from vampires. They have no idea exactly what lurks in the shadows and because of that, humans are not cautious and are completely oblivious to the dangers that surrounds them.

The strong always prey onto the weak and humans are very weak compared to us. There are many who simply see humans as their next meal than actual beings with emotions and thoughts. This is why Pops does what he does. He strongly believes that justice belongs to all living things. To Pops, if humans can’t bring vampires to justice. Then he will for their sake and he's been doing so for centuries.

Pops has been walking this earth for a very long time so he knows exactly what he’s doing at this point. He’s ancient within the government and to be honest, I was almost speechless when I learned that there is a whole division of people like us within the Federal Bureau of Investigation and our job is to take down vampires that have gone haywall without alerting the public.

“Teenage boys of the same age with similar appearance that keep on disappearing. To me it sounds like a typical human serial killer.” I voice out, catching Pops’ eye in disapproval for even saying that but it’s true. To me, all I can smell is the work of a human. A talented human none the less.

“I never said otherwise…” He calmly replies.

“Then shouldn’t we be investigating other more pressing cases?” I inquire and I receive another disapproval gaze from the older man.

“Kou if you want to blend in with society, you need to focus on everything and not just one specific thing.” He tells me instead of actually answering my question much to my annoyance. 

He always does that. I ask him a question and instead of answering my question like a normal person would. He answers something completely irrelevant to the question. It drives me nuts and I’m starting to wonder if maybe he does that on purpose.

“Yeah I get that but we’re the only ones who can stop others like us from-”

“Kou, I took you under my wing because you chose this path and you were given this job in return.” Pops quickly cuts me off in a lecture and continues. “We were given this case because it has the director worried so it won’t hurt to take this case and play it safe.”

I get it that this case worries the director since it’s a complicated case. The local police have absolutely no lead to it so they asked the FBI for help and then the director gave the case to Pops. But, no matter how many times I look at this case, it just doesn’t smell like vampires are behind this. This is simply a human who knows how to hide his trail very well. 

The unsub abducts teenage boys of similar features. He then kills them and what he does with the bodies remains a complete mystery. Regular FBI agents could have solved this case instead of us but the director urged Pops so he took it without question.

“Yeah…”

“Kou, sixteen year old boys are disappearing on a monthly basis. Since more keep on vanishing without a trace, it’s safe to assume that we won’t find these boys alive.” Pops tells me and that’s pretty much the only reason why I’m even willing to do this case. It’s the fact that I know deep down that I won’t find a single one of them alive. I just want to prevent any more deaths from happening. “Whether the killer is human or not, we must stop this individual before he strikes again.” Pops adds and he’s right with that. We have to stop this fucker but so far, we’ve got nothing to go on.

Ever since this case was assigned to us six months ago, nothing has changed. We haven’t been able to get a lead on any of the missing boys. The only information that we did get is personal information and it didn’t help us at all. Other than actually having similar physical features. The boys have nothing in common with each other what so ever.

Pops keeps on saying that our killer is lurking closely. He’s watching and it’s only a matter of time until he slips and makes a mistake. They all do eventually but so far everything he does is perfect and as time passes by, more and more boys keep on disappearing without a trace and it bothers. 

Ever since we took this case, six boys got abducted under our watch. Six innocents lost their lives because we couldn't catch this madman. It's six times that we failed to save a life…

“I know Pops…” I mutter back.

It’s frustrating when you’re working on a case and the victim count keeps on going up and there’s nothing you can do to stop it because you have nothing. I honestly hate cases like this. I hate cases that involve minors because they are so young and their lives were just stolen from them. It just boils my blood up and I just want to avenge them so badly.

Everything about this case is chilling. The town is a quiet one, peaceful even. Everyone seems to know each other and yet we can’t find any suspects that could be our killer. Everyone that we interviewed in surprise visits are friendly and are more than willing to answer our questions. And then, there’s the thing with the disappearances of the boys who’s bodies have yet to be found…

“Something wrong Pops?” I ask when I notice that Pops is looking passed me as if observing something in the distance.

“Don’t turn around, just listen.” He calmly says before continuing, “A sixteen year old boy without a doubt. With similar features as our victims just entered the cart. You’re going to befriend the boy; we’ll be keeping an eye on the child.”

I have to fight the sudden urge to turn around as I focus onto Pops and ask, “You think he might be our next victim?”

“Might not be our next victim per say but I’d say he probably will be eventually.” Pops answers like it’s no big deal without removing his gaze away from the boy I assume.

After knowing Pops for some time, I’ve gone accustomed to his ways so I know what he’s thinking but I hate it when he does that. Sometimes by the way that he talks, you’d think that he doesn’t care at all but in reality he cares more than anyone may think. He cares so much to the point that he’ll stop at nothing to solve a case.

In the early days, before I really got to know Pops. I thought that he was a heartless man when it came to his job but I couldn’t be any more wrong. He’s the person with the kindness heart that I’ve ever met and maybe if I had a father like him when I was growing up, maybe I would have been a better man. Maybe or maybe not… You don’t choose your family but Pops is as much family as my blooded ones.

“You know, I hate using people as bait but I get your drift.” I tell Pops as I get up and quickly scan the cart for a teenage boy with the same features as our victims and quite frankly it wasn’t that hard. Actually it might explain exactly why this fucker targets such teenagers in the first place. They just stand out like a sore thumb in a crowd.

The reason why the lunatic picks specifically sixteen year olds with ivory skin, black hair and green eyes is probably not because they stand out. If it was, then it be way too easy to solve this case, it has to be something else.

From the short distance. I can easily see that this teenager is good looking to say the least but as I come closer and sit down on the seat in front of him. I can see that he’s a bit different from the other boys. 

For starters, his skin is a bit paler than our victims. Actually his skin is without any forms of imperfections, it’s perfect like porcelain. His hair is jet black which further makes his skin seem paler than what it probably is and his eyes are the most vibrant of greens that I have ever seen. This kid is without a doubt beautiful.

“Hey, excuse me.” I say, catching the teenager’s attention away from his phone.

“Yes?” He answers as he pulls out one headphone bud from his ear in order to better hear me.

“You wouldn’t mind telling me what time it is?” I ask and he gives me a soft smile as he turns his phone. The screen facing me with the hour in bold white numbers stating to be seven forty-five.

“Thank you.” I say and add, “I’m Shinya Kougami.”

“Nobuchika Ginoza.” He returns the greeting as the train comes to a slow halt followed by a light ding. “That’s my stop.” He quickly adds as he gets up and before I can stand up to follow him, the busy crowd cuts me off and by the time that I can move, the boy is nowhere in sight.

**XXX**

* * *

**XXX**

“The parents kept their son’s bedroom door closed. They had no idea that the body was in here until it started to smell.” I tell Pops as I give him the statement that the parents gave me all the while I try to ignore the scent of human decay and metallic scent that has long since taken over the room.

This case is starting to be really sickening, truly sickening. No one in their right mind would ever do such a thing to another human being…

“Why all the sudden would the killer bring back his victim? It makes no sense at all.” I voice out but that’s not the most disturbing thing. It’s the fact that the teenager isn’t even wearing the clothes that he was last seen wearing. Whoever killed him took the time to dress the boy up before bringing him home and if that’s not sick I don’t know what is.

The last boy to have disappeared has now been confirmed to be dead. So, that can only mean that the killer will strike again and knowing this, I wish I hadn’t failed to follow Ginoza this morning. If the killer spots him, he’s done for…

Wait…

If the killer knew exactly where this kid lived and knew exactly which room was his bedroom. It can only mean that the killer stalks his victims before he abducts them and if so... If Ginoza truly is the next victim, then chances are the killer was probably on the train with us and we didn’t even notice him.

“Still can’t believe that I lost that kid in a flash…” I say.

“Forget about it Kou.” Pops quickly tells me as if Ginoza is no longer a factor to him at the moment which should be the total opposite. “Focus on the task at hand.” He adds as he puts on surgical gloves and starts inspecting the body of the poor teenager that we just couldn’t save.

Even though this kid has been dead for some time, he still retains some of the features that made him a victim. The kid bore a gentle beauty but compared to Ginoza, this kid is nothing more than a kitchen drab.

“Yeah but still-”

“Kou, focus on the case at hand.” Pops repeats as he further inspects the boy and I really wish that he would just leave the poor kid alone but I don’t dare say anything. Not like Pops would listen to me anyway and much to my dismay, I have to watch him poke around into the kid’s organs like it’s no big deal. “These eight boys, their bodies never found except for this one. Why is that?” He adds as he continues digging into the boy like he’s searching for something.

“Something was wrong with this one.” I reply back without much thought but it is a very good question. All the other boys are still missing and yet this one was brought back. He was cut open but then he was dressed with clothes that was not his but why?

“Yes and the problem is right here.” Pops voices out as he pulls out the kid’s liver and I just want to shake my head in disbelief when something catches my eye.

The kid’s liver is in terrible shape. It’s almost completely discolored with colours of purple and red and a bit deformed even. There’s no way this boy could have lived long with that liver and from the appearance of the other organs that Pops is pulling out. This boy was really not in good health and the parents never mentioned anything so I'll assume that no one was aware that this boy was sick.

“The boy would have died anyway…” I state the obvious and now that’s just sad.

Not even knowing that you were generalized with cancer... Now that's truly sad but I don’t know what is worse in this scenario. To die by the hands of a serial killer or slowly suffer the death of cancer? I’m not sure which was the better end here; I’m really not sure because both ways are just terrible.

“Yes of which is still unfortunate but I’m thankful for those bad organs. I believe that it finally gave us the break that we needed.” Pops tells me and I think that he’s right on this one like he always is actually. As much as this finding is sad, it is truly a blessing but I’m having a hard time to digest it. “Kou, tell me what happened here.” Pops instructs me.

I prefer when he’s the one who does this since I’m still fairly new at my position and I so don’t want to fuck up since I know that there are ears listening and I don’t want to make Pops looks like a bloody fool. I’m his assistant so what I say and do reflects on him.

“The boy was alive when he was abducted. Shortly after, he was strangled to death but he was under some sort of restraint that prevented the child from defending himself. The killer didn’t take his time to end the boy’s life; he did it quickly with the least amount of pain. Once the boy died, his killer proceeded into carefully cutting him open in order to get to his organs without damaging them.” I explain as I watch Pops carefully put back the organs into the boy and I continue knowing full well that he’s still listening. “The killer took great care to the child’s body as if it was something precious to him. He did no unnecessary cuts but once he found the bad organs, he put them back into the boy and brought the child home. He took the time to carefully place the child onto his bed, laid the child into a peaceful position… He’s sad…”

Once the killer found the bad organs, it’s like he became sad that he killed the boy for nothing. Which further confirms my suspicions and the very thought sickens me even more. For a long time I feared that the killer had a kink. That he abducted those boys because he found them appealing and that he would sexually abuse the boys to death. The very thought sickens me and after seeing Ginoza this morning. I feared for that even more but now, this changes everything.

“Good.” Pops states and adds, “Now, profile him.”

I feel like Pops is testing me right now just to see if we’re on the same page and that makes me nervous. I’m always afraid that I’m not and that he’ll cast me aside like garbage and although I know that Pops would never do that to me, I still fear that very outcome.

“Similar hair colour, similar skin tone. Similar shade of green, same age… The killer is a middle aged man with an unhealthy obsession for a sixteen year old boy that has all of those physical features. The boy must be his own son and he loves his child very much. Maybe a little too much. The killer can’t live without his son and he won’t allow anyone to take his child away from him. Even if his son might have desires to go away for collegial studies, he won't allow it. These changes, these natural changes that all children must make as they grow older. He fears losing his son and it triggered him to start killing.” I explain when something just came into my mind like a jolt to merge with the other theory that popped into my mind earlier and it’s just… No, he wouldn’t would he?

If this man doesn't get to kill a boy that closely resembles his own son... He wouldn't kill his own flesh and blood right? The very thought actually sends chills down my spine. No one can be that cold can they?

“But it still doesn’t tell us what he does with the bodies of the boys.” I mutter and I cringe at the words and I’m not even sure why I even said it. I know full well what he does with the bodies of the boys but I just don’t want to believe it. Anything but that, no this is just too much.

“Kou, you know what he does with the bodies. We’ve got the confirmation with this boy and one thing’s for sure; we’ll never find the bodies.” Pops tells me as he straightens himself up and pulls the surgical gloves off his hands to discard them before turning his gaze upon me. 

I know what he wants, he wants to hear me say it but if I do say it then it means that it’s real and I don’t want it to be real. It’s just too much. Humans doing such things… It’s just too much to be real. Somehow, it’s only something you hear about in movies or novels and not in real life.

Pops always says that every serial killer is always right under your nose. More than half of the time, police and detectives have spoken to those individuals. On many occasions they even come forward with information that seems to be helpful but it turns out that it was just the opposite. I know we’ve seen this man. I know that we've spoken to him too and I think I know who will be his next victim and the thought scares me because I fear of not getting there in time to save him.

“He’s a hunter… What he does to an animal, he does the exact same thing to his victims.” I voice out exactly what Pops wanted to hear and patiently waits for one last thing and in a disgusted tone, almost in disbelief I add, “He eats them.”

“Our cannibal loves the boys because he sees his son in them. He doesn't want to destroy them. He wants to consume them, keep a part of them inside of him. Eating the boys is honoring them and for this boy right here, he couldn’t eat him. He couldn’t honor his death and he feels bad about it.” Pops explains and all of this is just truly sickening. It only serves to prove that it doesn’t matter if you’re a human or a vampire. One or the other is still capable of doing monstrous acts.

“How do we catch this lunatic?” I ask as I follow Pops out into the hall and out of the house and continue. “We know what he is, we know how mentally sick and twisted this fucker is but how do we catch him?”

I keep on following Pops towards the car before the older man stops and turns towards me. His eyes clearly focused. Exactly the same look in his eyes when he’s on to something. That he’s finally figured out all of the pieces to his puzzle and if I didn’t know any better. I'd say that he had some suspicions about whom it could be for quite some time. He just didn’t have anything to back him up until now.

“There’s only one man in this town who has the skills and knowledge to use every part of an animal without waste and he so happens to have a sixteen year old son.” Pops tells me before getting into the car, turning the engine on and I quickly enter. So this is it, time to put an end to this madness once and for all before someone else gets hurt.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Ginoza**

Another day over, another day closer to mark the end of the school year and I still can’t believe that only a month is left and then it’s all over. To be honest, I can’t wait for it to end. I’m tired, it’s been a very busy year for me and summer never looked so good. I’ve worked hard, I deserve a break.

The train cart is quiet for a change which I prefer but even though the cart is almost empty. I still feel eyes starring at me and when I look into the direction that I feel that someone is watching me. They always quickly look away. There's always someone staring at me now a days and I know why, I mean I’m not an idiot or ignorant to what goes on around me. 

I’m aware of those who have disappeared and that they all have similar physical traits and that I so happen to fit into that category so the gossip goes from there. Many must be wondering when I’ll disappear too and to be honest it’s quite a gloomy thing to think about another. Especially when you know that the victims are probably dead…

It’s not just the people staring at me that bothers me though. What really disturbs me is when random unknown people come up to me and try to talk to me. It creeps me out and I guess that I’m also kind of becoming a bit paranoid. 

I just can’t help but wonder why some individual that I have never met would just approach me like it’s nothing. Just like this morning for example, the guy who took a seat in front of me and asked me what time it was. He already was sitting a bit further away in the cart but he took the time to change seat in order to come talk to me but I pretended like I didn’t notice it but it does worry me. I don’t want to die.

I quickly look over my shoulder only to see a woman quickly look away and I have to sigh in return as I turn around only to jump slightly in my seat when I see a man sitting in front of me. I didn’t even hear him approach me nor did I see him in the cart when I took my seat. It's creepy how he just suddenly appeared like that.

I return my attention back to my book that I brought with me and start reading from where I left off. It really does not matter how many times I read this book series, I just can’t get tired of it. It’s truly a masterpiece in every way and each time I read the series from the first book right to the last. The love for each character grows and sometimes I catch something that I had missed in my previous reads.

“Quite an interesting book choice for such a gentle looking boy.” I hear a voice say as I look up to meet the man’s gaze.

The man’s voice was calm, low and quite firm. Dressed in a black suit with a gray and green vest worn over a white shirt and black tie which gives him a sophisticated look and yet his long black hair and curly bang takes away all of the sophistication from the man. His gray eyes locked onto me are enough to make me feel uncomfortable. Everything about this man just creeps me out.

“Excuse me?” I say as I close my book, never removing my eyes off the man. It’s weird, I feel like if I remove my gaze off of this man, something bad will happen to me.

“Quite violent.” He states and quickly asks, “Do you like violence?”

A Song of Ice and Fire isn’t a gentle series that I’ll admit but it’s not the violent nature of it that captivates me. I could do without all of the violence and yet the violence present is what causes the heart wrenching moments in the series. Like right now, I’m currently at the start of the Red Wedding. It was a tragic moment in the story to see so many get butchered but the scene itself was not surprising in the slightest. Robb made a mistake because he refused to listen to his council; he did what he wanted and broke his vow to the old Frey. It was a betrayal on his part so it was only natural that the old Frey would turn on the young king. Robb was only foolish to not see it and his demise was done purely due to his ignorance and selfish desires.

His heart was in the right place though. He married because he felt it was his duty when he slept with a noble girl and took her maidenhead but it was forbidden because he was already promised to another. He wanted to avenge his father and save his sisters, he didn’t want glory or the Iron Throne. He just wanted justice but in the end his poor decisions caused him his head. He may have won all of his battles but in the end, he still lost the war of which is quite tragic. Because of his bad decisions, everyone died...

“No, I think it’s an unnecessary thing that plagues the world but that’s not why I love this book.” I choose to answer which peaks his interest with an odd expression on his face and somehow with each passing minute, this man seems to become creepier. If that was even possible to begin with.

“Oh? And what is?” He asks.

I glance outside of my window and I’m relieved to see the grand hotel’s advertisement sign pass by which tells me that my stop is coming near and I simply can’t wait for that. Only a few more minutes and I’ll be free from this man and I can forget that he ever existed.

“The realism of it all. Just because you have good intentions, does not mean that you always win.” I tell him and continue as I try to ignore his creepish stare. “Bad things happen to good people who simply want to make the world a better place. The good suffer due to the selfish desires of others but they don’t always lose. Sometimes, they win too but it’s not without a struggle.”

“Interesting.” He voices out just as I feel the train start to slow down followed by the faint sound of the train’s bell much to my relief.

I quickly stand up the moment the train stops moving and bolt out of the cart in all haste hoping that the man won’t try to follow me but the moment that I stepped out of the train cart. I no longer cared what that man’s intentions were. I don’t care if he does follow me out of the train, he can’t touch me anymore.

“Isn’t it strange for a dad to pick up his sixteen year old son at the train station almost every day?” I ask as I walk up to my dad in relief before looking back at the train only to see that very same man step out of the cart and our eyes meet and a chill runs down my spine.

Who exactly is that?

“Strange? No.” My dad quickly replies catching my attention and adds, “I don’t find it strange at all.”

I look back over my shoulders as we start walking away only to see that the man is no longer there. He just simply disappeared without a trace. As quickly as he appeared in the cart, he vanished just as fast…

That man by far was the oddest person who has ever approached me and maybe it’s just my mind playing tricks on me but I just felt a bad vibe coming from him. Like he wasn’t human which is kind of ridiculous to even think of and yet why do I have this weird feeling that this man is dangerous…

I quickly shoved the thought away as I walk home with my dad by my side and I couldn’t be happier when I saw the house. After such a long day, there’s really no place like home and it’s Friday so I can finally relax.

As I entered the house, all the anxiety and stress that was crushing me down all week just suddenly went away. When I’m home, I no longer have to worry about anything and with the disappearance of so many, I feel much safer being in my own home than being out in public.

“How was school?” My mom asks as I entered the kitchen.

“It was alright.” I reply back as I set my bag next to the kitchen island and lay my book onto the counter.

“You’re so privileged, not many sixteen year olds get to graduate.” She tells me and I still can’t believe it myself that I’m graduating. To be honest I still feel strange about having skipped a whole grade back in middle school.

Dad wasn’t in favour for me to skip a whole grade but mom wouldn’t hear of it. She kept on saying that it was a blessing and that if I didn’t skip a grade then it would only drag me down so to make her happy I did what she wanted and dad encouraged me once I made my decision.

I didn’t think that skipping a whole grade would bother me too much. Well it didn’t in terms of my grades, they remained just the same but I lost all of my friends. 

At first I didn’t see any difference but slowly they just started to distance themselves from me and my new classmates didn’t want to mingle with me either. Basically, ever since middle school I’ve been alone so I turned my attention onto other things like books. They were the only things that seemed to make things better but that was just during school really. Home didn’t change for me, it’s still my haven and always will be.

“Your father and I are so proud of you.” My mom tells me before cupping my face in her hands and kisses my forehead. “Did you ever receive news about your university applications?” She quickly asks and I wish that she hadn’t.

“I got accepted in all of them.” I answer as I think back when mom made me apply to every single prestigious universities that I could for an opportunity to attend. And when I got my acceptance letters, I wasn’t really surprised since my grades are perfect basically but it’s such a hard decision to make.

To be honest, I was hoping that a few universities would have rejected my application. That way, it would have made my decision on which university to go to much easier but of course I got accepted to all of them and now I just can’t decide. They’re all great but they’re all very far away from home too. It doesn’t matter which one I go to, I’ll have to be away for a very long time and leaving home is kind of nerve racking. Not having my parents around, I’m really not used to that…

“That’s wonderful!” My mom quickly voices out. “The University of Cambridge would be such a beautiful experience for you.” She adds and I quickly look towards my dad who’s sharpening the kitchen knife to start preparing dinner for some support on the matter and much to my relief he gets it like he always does.

“Cambridge… It’s rather far…” Dad states and that’s exactly what I'm thinking. 

Yeah Cambridge is a great university but it’s in a whole different country and quite frankly I’m not sure how I would feel about that.

Mom is a Cambridge graduate in high literature and philosophy and it’s been a dream of hers that I should follow in her footsteps. Not exactly in the same profession as her but to go to the same University and from the stories that she kept on telling me when I was younger, she really loved her experience there but that was her and I’m not sure if I would like it.

Dad on the other hand simply went to Stanford University in California. He got his master’s degree in marketing and turned around and built his own business. He manages everything himself which in turn allows him more freedom and because of that I grew up with dad being always around while mom had to go do her lectures at the small university out of town.

Stanford might not be as prestige as Cambridge but it doesn’t mean that it’s better or maybe I won’t go to neither. That way it won’t look like I prefer one’s choice over the other. Maybe I should just go to Harvard. Maybe it would be the best option to go with but then again, it’s rather expensive. I know mom told me time and time again that I shouldn’t focus on the cost for my education but still... Is the price even worth it?

“It would only be temporary dear.” She tells my dad as he finishes sharpening the knives and starts carefully chopping some vegetables into small pieces that he’ll use in his sauce.

It’s obvious that mom has already made up her mind about Cambridge but dad isn’t so this might be interesting to see who actually wins. Anyway, it really doesn’t matter where I go, I’ll get a good education ether way. It’s just the location that worries me a little but others have done it before me so I’ll be fine. I’m just over thinking about this like usual.

The sound of the phone ringing snaps me out of my thoughts and I quickly reach for the cordless phone to look whom is calling only for the caller ID to mark unknown.

“Hello?” I answer.

“Hibiki Ginoza.” A man says calmly on the other end and I don’t know why but just hearing the man sent chills down my spine.

“Just a second.” I reply back before turning towards my dad and bring him the phone, catching his attention in the process. “Dad, it’s for you.”

“Who is it?” He asks as he puts the knife he was using on the cutting board and wipes his hands with a towel before taking the phone from my hands.

“I’m not sure. Caller ID said it was blocked.” I tell him before taking a seat behind the kitchen island.

**XXX**

* * *

**Chapter 2.5**

**Kougami**

I remember talking to that man, I talked to him on the second day that we arrived in this town to solve the case. He seemed like such a great guy, he was gentle, calm and caring. I never would have been able to tell that there was something wrong with his head. He didn't give any signs at all that there was something wrong with him.

I knew there was something about that kid when I saw him. I knew that Ginoza was different from the other boys and I was right. He’s the golden ticket that Hibiki wants and just knowing that, I fear for Ginoza's safety. Maybe we're not too late. Maybe we still have time to prevent any more needless deaths. 

“Do you trust my judgement Pops?” I ask as I feel my gun in its halter rather nervously.

In a few minutes from now, things might get heated. I might have to pull out my gun and I’m not sure if I can do it. The last time I pointed my gun towards a killer, I just couldn’t pull the trigger and it ended in the victim’s death because of my weakness. Pops had been the one to take the criminal down and I just stood there and did nothing… I just froze…

“It’s not the time to question yourself Kou.” Pops quickly replies, never removing his eyes off the road.

“I’m just confused. I don’t know this kind of psychopath. I’ve never read about him. I don’t even know if he is a psychopath. He’s not insensitive. He’s not shallow.” I tell him and I don’t know why this is eating me up so much even though I know that it shouldn't but it is.

I don’t know if it’s because I just can’t figure this guy out or because in the end it had to be Pops who figured out who the killer was. That he had suspicions on a guy all this time but just didn’t have any solid evidence to back him up. I don’t know but sometimes I feel like I’m not improving in this line of work. Sometimes I don’t feel like I belong here and at other times I know that I do.

“You know more than what you are willing to admit.” Pops tells me in the same calm tone as he usually does but he’s confident as he spoke. He truly believes in me so firmly and he’s right, I do know more than what I’m willing to admit. It’s just that I don’t like the answers. It’s just so hard to accept. “Kou, in this line of duty. You will be faced with individuals that you can’t even come to comprehend but you can’t allow that to cloud your mind.” Pops adds.

When I was human, I had no cares in the world. Actually I was just your typical nineteen year old with only one thing in my brain. Well two things really. Sex and endless partying. I didn’t care who it was I could have sex with. I only cared if I could have it as much as I liked with no strings attached and how much I could drink. 

All I cared about was getting what I wanted and one night. Things just went too far and I took some things that I had never consumed before and it fucked me up pretty badly but Pops saved me. He gave me a second chance and I don't plan on messing it up.

Even though I was a complete sack of shit, I never broke the law once. I never forced anyone to do anything that they didn’t want. I wasn’t a good person but I wasn’t exactly bad either. I was simply misguided and all I needed was someone to guide me.

“He feels bad because he couldn’t honor the boy. That very emotion defeats the purpose of being a psychopath.” I voice out, thinking about the poor boy that got brought back to his home like a present to the parents.

In the five years since Pops introduced me to this job, not once have I ever seen a killer do that. If they do bring back the body, it’s only to show the work that they did but Hibiki didn’t do anything to show. He carefully placed the boy back on his bed in a peaceful manner all because the organs of the boy were no good but why not dispose of the boy? Yes I understand that he wants to honor them but why take the risk of getting caught?

“Yes it does.” Pops calmly agrees taking me out of my thoughts.

Hibiki Ginoza is unlike any psychopaths I’ve ever heard of. He’s dangerous without a doubt but why out of a sudden did he choose to kill? Yeah I gave Pops my profile on him but I know that I’m missing something here.

“Then what kind of crazy is he?” I ask and continue, “We know that he loves those boys. He loves them because he fantasizes about his own son and he honors his victims by eating them. He doesn’t disrespect those boys by sexually abusing them and quite frankly that’s unheard of.”

I can’t help but think about Ginoza in all of this. He’s the reason why his father is killed those boys but I know for a fact that he doesn’t know that his father is the killer. 

I could sense a bit of nervousness when I talked to him on the train this morning but at this point everyone knows that a killer is on the loose targeting individuals with specific features and Ginoza had them all so it would only be natural for him to be nervous. Not to mention that I was a complete stranger.

I don’t remember ever seeing Ginoza before this morning. If I would have, I definitely would have remembered. Someone that gorgeous isn’t easy to forget but I do remember his father when I interviewed him. He was with his wife and both seemed to be very happy with great jobs. His wife was concern for their son. That I remembered and her husband reassured her that as long as he could breathe no harm would ever befall their child…

Back then, I thought nothing about it. Actually, I thought it was really touching but now that I think about it. Could there be another meaning behind it? A meaning that could explain as to why he kills the way that he does?

“He doesn’t want those boys to suffer. He kills them quickly and to his thinking, with mercy.” I state and I feel like I’m getting closer to figuring everything out but there’s still something that’s missing.

“Kou, you’re thinking too hard and too much about this.” Pops tells me, forcing me out of my thoughts once again as I see our destination slowly approaching. “If you want to figure out how that man ticks then I suggest that you do it once it’s over. Don’t dwell on unnecessary things at the wrong times, it will get others killed.” Pops adds as he pulls into the driveway.

“I’m ready for this Pops.” I declare after taking a few long breathes in order to calm my nerves down. I can’t afford to fail now, I won’t fail.

“Good. I want you to go straight for the boy. Get as much distance as you can from his father no matter what, even if you have to forcefully drag him away.” Pops quickly gives out his orders as he kills the engine of the car.

“Do you think he’ll try to hurt his son?” I ask as we step out of the car but Pops doesn’t answer me and instead starts walking towards the house when we hear a blinding scream of a woman coming from the house followed by a loud commotion.

“Kou! Move!” Pops orders and I bolt into a run towards the front of the house and Pops heads towards the back with his gun at hand.

I pull out mine before slamming my foot into the front door causing it to violently open wide. I enter the house in all haste only to find the gentle man I had interviewed many months ago holding his son with a blade pressed against his throat down the hall.

“FBI! Drop it!” I shout as I point the gun towards them and slowly step closer, trying not to do eye contact with those green eyes. “Hibiki! It’s over, drop the knife!” I add as I try to focus onto the armed man.

“No one’s taking my son from me.” He responds as he tightens his grip onto Ginoza as if he’s afraid. Afraid of what exactly? No one is going to take his son away!

“Hibiki, he’s your son. You’re scaring the very child that you swore to protect.” I tell him; trying to get the man to calm down and to be honest I’m not sure what kind of man that I’m looking at here.

This man, a man who already killed eight boys without any signs of hesitation and now he’s hesitating. He’s got a blade pressed against his son’s neck, with just one swift motion and it’s done. It be easier to do than strangling and yet he hasn’t done it yet and it’s not because of me so why not?

“Let him go Hibiki and everything will be fine.” I assure him, lowering my tone in hopes that he might hear the sincerity in my voice.

“I can’t allow anyone to take my son away.” He responds again as tears form in his eyes.

“Dad! Please! I don't want to die!” Ginoza desperately pleads with his father, unable to hold in his tears and just hearing him breaks my heart. No child should have to suffer this, this is wrong.

“No one is taking your son away from you but if you do this, it’s you who will take him away from yourself.” I state, hopping that my words will be enough to reach him.

This man, he doesn’t have the eyes of a madman. Yes he has taken the lives of eight teenage boys but he doesn’t have the eyes of psychopath. What I see is despair, fear and for some reason he’s desperate. It’s as if in his mind, there is really someone who wants to take his son away…

“I won’t let anyone take my son from me.” He repeats and he swiftly presses the blade into his son’s neck.

“Don’t!!” I shout as I pull the trigger hitting Hibiki in the shoulder forcing him backwards and it prevents him from fully slitting his son's throat.

I pull the trigger again when the man moves towards Ginoza who has fallen limp onto the floor as blood pours out staining the floor in crimson but this time the bullet hits Hibiki in the chest and he crumbles down onto the floor like a rag doll.

My gaze is locked onto Hibiki as I watch him struggle to breathe and as he struggles to take in each breath of air, his eyes are locked onto me and then his chest stops moving. His heart having finally given away…

The gagging sound and desperate gasping for air is what jolts me out of my trance like state and I quickly drop onto the ground next to Ginoza. Without a second thought, I slightly lift his head with one hand and place the other on top of the cut in order to try and stop the bleeding until help arrives and it won’t be long much to my relief as I hear sirens in the distance so I’m assuming that Pops must have called for backup and help.

“Stay with me.” I tell Ginoza as he’s starring up at me and I desperately try to ignore the metallic scent of blood in the air and somehow Ginoza’s blood smells more tempting than others but I have to resist. I’m not a mindless blood sucking freak, I have to control myself. I can't let him die, not like this.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Kougami**

Exactly what is a job well done in this field?

Is it after you put an end to a murderer’s bloody rampage or is it how you prevented any more unnecessary deaths from occurring? Sometimes I’m not really sure by the way people act once everything is finally over…

During an ongoing investigation we detectives or federal agents in this case; we’re the ones who receive the negative repercussion when the victim count keeps on rising once we take over a case since we’re supposed to be professionals. We are supposed to know how a psychopath thinks so of course we should be able to catch these individuals quickly but sadly sometimes it’s just not that easy.

I understand why the citizens affected by the deaths just want an end to the innocent killings and just seeing or hearing about more deaths on the news only further fuels their own pain. No one wants to see any innocents die at the hands of a madman. Especially when the victims happen to be minors, you just want an end to it and fast. 

In a small town like this one, everyone mourns the death of those who fall victim to a serial killer. Even if they didn’t know the victim personally themselves, they still mourn for them. The citizens then bunch up together to give support and comfort to the families of the victims during these difficult times. All of that is normal; actually it’s kind of expected in a way…

This process of grief, comfort and support goes on until the killer is eventually apprehended or killed by an official of the law. To be honest though, the people are never really content with the concept of imprisonment. Actually they are strangely relieved that the killer is taken off the streets but you can see a pure delight in the eyes of the citizens when they receive the news that the killer is dead. It’s actually a satisfaction to them and to be honest the whole thing simply disgust me.

Sometimes I really do hate people and sometimes I even hate myself because I used to think exactly like they do and I’m ashamed that I ever had that mentality in the first place. When I look in their eyes, I see no remorse or sadness in them. All I see in their eyes is a pure satisfaction. To them, because the killer is dead, justice was done but that’s not true justice.

The only thing that gives me some relief and restores my faith in humanity is that a few times here and there I see some individuals who do feel sorry for how it all ended but that’s extremely rare. The majority of people are just thrilled about all of it. Yeah they will show sadness about the victims but god forbids that they show any bit of sadness for the family members of the killer. Oh no, the family members deserve no pity or sympathy at all because they are related to a serial killer and because of that they should have known better but that’s not how it works.

The thing is that the family members pretty much have no idea about what their loved one has done nor do they suspect a thing either. It’s extremely rare that the family members actually know the truth. When they do find out, well they usually don’t live for very long. They die before they can say anything about it and thus they become victims themselves but they are usually the killer’s last victims because they can’t cope mentally that they killed someone so close to them and that’s just sad.

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget the expression the people had on their faces as they stood outside of the Ginoza household that day. They just stood there, whispering to each other about what happened but none actually cared. All they cared about was simply to see what was happening as if to make sure that Hibiki was actually dead.

Their behavior that day was simply human nature’s curiosity that brought them there to stand under the cold rain but none actually felt sorry for the new victims and that’s what pains me the most. None showed any signs of sympathy when Ms. Ginoza and her son were taken out of the house on stretchers gasping for air as they continued to bleed out from their injuries.

They all had judgemental expressions on their faces as they watched the paramedics lead the stretchers into the ambulances. I even overheard someone say that it was a well-deserved punishment for someone involved in murder as I entered the ambulance that Ginoza was in.

Ginoza and his mother received absolutely no sympathies or sadness from the people who probably knew them well. The moment they learned what Hibiki was, both of them were no longer viewed as decent human beings. Through these people’s eyes, they were just as guilty as Hibiki was and that’s just wrong. By all means, they were innocent.

If that wasn’t enough, I feel like everyone around me keeps on pouring salt over the opened wound. As if I wasn’t already pissed over how the new victims are being treated they had to further fuel my anger by giving me a grand applaud over the fact that I was the one who shot and killed Hibiki Ginoza.

I don’t need to be constantly praised for having taken the life of someone’s father. Killing Hibiki wasn’t my intention back there. I wanted to stop him, I wanted to save him but I failed and I ended up killing Hibiki right in front of his son. Even as he was bleeding out and gasping for air, Ginoza’s eyes constantly lingered on the deceased man.

I understand that the citizens of this town are happy with the death of Hibiki since it finally put an end to this long case that had been plaguing this small town for so long but they could show it in another way. They don’t have to treat Hibiki’s family as if they are monsters when they are not.

The thing is that I don’t feel like I deserve all of the praise that they are giving me. In the end, two more innocents became victims and what’s worse about it is that no one cares and that alone stings my heart and I’m having a really hard time to accept that.

No one gives a damn that a child’s life has been completely destroyed by all of this madness. His life has changed forever and no one cares…  The only thing that actually brings me some joy in all of this shit is that Ginoza was able to pull through. He lost a lot of blood but the surgery was a success and the doctor said that he should make a full recovery. His injury did not damage his vocal cords in any way and his airway has not been affected. His breathing and his voice will be fine but the cut will always be visible. He’ll have a scar to remind him about what happened that day and that saddens me. He doesn’t need to be reminded of such tragedy and I wish I could shield him from that pain…

Ginoza is all alone now in this world with no living relatives to care for him of which makes everything even sadder considering everything that has happened to him… His mother, although rushed to the emergency room before her own son and that the doctor wasted no time to perform surgery in order to save her life, she didn’t make it.

We were told that her injury was way too severe and the doctor who worked on her just couldn’t stop the bleeding no matter how hard he tried. However, according to the doctor, he said that if he could have saved her life, she never would have been able to speak again. Her vocal cords were severely damaged and chances are that she wouldn’t have been able to breath without the help from a machine so her quality of life would have been extremely low if she had indeed lived. Maybe it’s for the best that she died, that way she doesn’t have to suffer anymore and Ginoza doesn’t have to watch his mother all mangled up and be constantly reminded day after day about what happened but a living mother still would have been better than a dead one.

The sound of the door opening pulls me out of my thoughts and Pops steps out of the room and gently shuts the door behind him before turning his gaze towards me.

“How many hours have you spent here, Kou?” He asks.

“Not enough…” I answer back as I try to hide my discontent of being thrown out of the room earlier by Pops in order to interrogate Ginoza about the incident by himself even though I was the one who was really there. He didn’t see what I saw; he didn’t see the fear in Hibiki’s eyes, the desperation in them. Killing his wife and attempting to take his son’s life was done out of desperation. As if it was an act of mercy…

“Don’t mix personal feelings with professional. It never ends well.” He tells me with a calm tone and a hint of fatigue present as he rubs his tired eyes. “I’m going back to the hotel; don’t stay out too long Kou.” He further tells me before walking away which is rather odd since Ginoza is being discharged soon. I would have thought that he would have waited but I guess not…

I’ve been visiting Ginoza every day since he was hospitalized much to Pops’ disapproval but he never tried to stop me though. It’s not that I can argue against it since I’ve been struggling to control myself around Ginoza. His scent is almost intoxicating. From the moment that I met him back on the train that day, his scent was truly particular. Unique even and now that he’s got a wound that’s only just starting to heal, his scent is even more irresistible.

The urge to feed is much greater at night. That alone isn’t anything new, it’s all caused by the moon and the atmospheric changes but so far I’ve been able to control myself…

Although the surgery was a success, the doctor who is taking care of Ginoza had him placed in an induced coma in order to give his body time to heal and to allow the pain to reduce to some extent on its own. The pain alone is enough to cause more problems for Ginoza if he were to wake and that’s not mentioning the trauma that would definitely be there once he would wake up.

Every day I watched his motionless form in that hospital bed with so many tubes sticking in him, it was almost unbearable and I’m not sure why but I hoped to see a few faces enter the room to visit Ginoza but none ever came.

During the whole week he was comatose, he received no visitors nor did he receive any get well cards. And once he woke up a week later, he woke up in complete panic only to find out that his mother died and also did his father.

The first thing Ginoza said to me after he calmed down from his sleep terror was that he remembered me as the one who killed his father and during the day he would often remind me about what I did. The doctor often reassured me that it would pass and it did but those first few days were hard to bear. I felt like Ginoza blamed me for his father’s death and in a way I am to blame but I had no choice…

Who am I kidding…? I had a choice and I made it…

I stand up and make my way towards the door, take a deep breath before opening it only to see Ginoza standing in front of the large window. He doesn’t turn around as I gently close the door before approaching him only to notice how he’s just staring blankly outside.

“How are you feeling?” I ask, not exactly sure if I should say something or not. The last thing I want is to spark another episode.

A few minutes passes before I get a reaction out of the kid. Ginoza just glances towards me before turning away and climbs back onto his bed without saying a single word. Other than constantly stating how I was the one who killed his father the first day that he woke up, he hasn’t spoken much. He would often sleep due to the medication he’s been given but when he isn’t sleeping, he stayed quiet but just by looking at him, you could just tell that his brain was on over drive. Even right now, he’s constantly thinking like he just can’t stop himself.

“Sorry. You must feel like crap. That wasn’t a good thing to ask.” I reply back as I dig my hands inside my pockets. Trying to hide the obvious discomfort that’s starting to weight down on me like a heavy block.

“When am I being released?” He asks in a tone so low that I barely understood him.

“Soon. I’m just waiting for the doctor to sign your release papers.” I quickly answer as I step closer to the boy’s bed and abruptly stop when a sweet whiff of blood catches my nose.

“Can I attend my parents’ funeral…?” He asks before looking up to meet my gaze and I wish he hadn’t asked that question. I would have preferred he would have asked that to Pops instead of me. There’s no easy way to answer such a question. How do you tell a kid who has lost everything that their parents won’t even be given a funeral at all? How can you tell a child that they can’t even be able to see their parents dead bodies once last time before they are buried?

“There won’t be a funeral for them and it’s better that way. I know it’s hard because you don’t get to have that final closure but the people who will come to the funeral won’t be there to pay their respects. They won’t be there to give you their sympathies either.” I tell him after a few seconds as I carefully use my words. I don’t want to sound harsh or an ass, I want him to understand that he’s not in a good place right now but I don’t want him to think that it’s his fault either. “You’ve been through enough already; you don’t have to go through that.” I add and Ginoza lowers his gaze from mine and I can tell that he’s disappointed and I can’t blame him. If I were in his position I’d feel the same way but this is for his own good.

To be honest I don’t think it would do Ginoza much good if he were to see his parents. I feel like his mind is frail, more than what some may think. He often disappears in his thoughts and constantly shuts everyone out. The doctor says that it’s all normal but I don’t agree. Ginoza is smart, there’s no questioning that and I think he might use his trauma as an excuse to escape his problems. The danger of that, by running away like he does, he’s not receiving any medical treatment to help with his condition and that can be very dangerous.

“I was close to my dad. We did practically everything together but I couldn’t see what he was doing…” Ginoza says after a long silence, catching my attention.

“You couldn’t see because he didn’t want you to see.” I quickly respond as I force myself to come closer to the bed. I sit down on the edge of the bed as I try to catch a glimpse of Ginoza’s eyes, hoping that he might continue to speak about his father. Perhaps what he might have to say may help explain why Hibiki behaved in the way that he did.

“My best times with him were when we would go hunting at the start of the season right to the very last day. It was our thing that we would do every year.” Ginoza recalls as he plays with the cotton sheet. Intertwining the thin fabric around his fingers. Obviously trying to hide his nervousness and I’d be willing to bet that this child knows more than what many might think and I wonder if Pops might have caught that also.

“Tell me more.” I calmly encourage for him to continue, hoping that he won’t shut down at any second. When it comes to delicate things like this, Pops continues to be better than I am.

“We would flee to the forest for two weeks and we would stay at the family cabin near the river during the whole time. We would fish and just explore the vast forest during the first week. On the second week at the very end, we would catch our deer and come back home with our catch.” He tells me, his fidgeting always there and I have to stop myself from reaching out to his hands to make him stop. At times he tangles his fingers within the fabric so tightly that his fingers become reddish from the lack of blood circulation.

“That’s how you should remember your father by.” I tell him and that is the truth. He’ll be able to cope better with the loss and the tragedy if he thinks about the good times instead of the bad one.

It’s always a strange thing to think about. How a family can be completely destroyed by one bad event. It takes years to build a relation and in one second it can all come crumbling down in an instant. Ginoza will never be the same as he once was, that’s definitely out of the question but I’d like to help him get better.

“How can I use those memories to remember him by when the skills that he thought me are the ones that he used to kill people that resembled me?” Ginoza shoots back as his hands suddenly grew still as he continues, “That he probably butchered the bodies at the very cabin that we stayed at every year…”

“I know but try to remember the good days with your father still. I know it won’t be easy but you have to for your sake.” I further state but maybe it might be best if he just disregards the memories altogether.

A light knock on the door catches my attention while it makes Ginoza jump slightly on the bed. The door gently opens and a young nurses peeks through.

“Sir, the doctor just signed for the release.” She tells me and that’s good news. Perhaps once Ginoza is away from this place, perhaps it will do him some good and he’ll be able to start healing. An hospital was never the best place to recover in my opinions.

The nurse backs away and gently closes the door and I stand up and encourage Ginoza to do the same.  “Time to go, Gino.” I tell him without much thought when it occurred to me. I shouldn’t be shortening someone’s name like that. If Pops was here he’d reprimand me for it, the last time I did that the guy lost his marble. Stating how unprofessional I was for a Federal Agent. “Can I call you Gino?” I quickly ask.

“I guess…” Ginoza mutters as he stands up.

“Pops is already at the hotel getting things ready for you and tomorrow we’ll leave for Quantico.” I inform him as I try to help him put on the jacket that Pops had found in a closet for Ginoza to wear once he had been cleared.

Ginoza quickly grabs the jacket out of my hands. No intentions of letting me help him to put it on in the slightest. Not that he needed it in the first place.

“Can I go home first?” He calmly asks as he zips up his jacket and for a bit there his tone grew different. No hints of anxiety in his tone, no hesitation in his voice either. For a second I could have sworn this kid did not experience any trauma and as he finished zipping up his jacket, he just looked at me and his eyes were numb and yet strange. There’s something else going on with this child. If he doesn’t know more about his father, if he has any doubts of what his father was doing beforehand it somehow would not surprise me in the slightest. I wouldn’t say that he is guilty of the acts himself but I have a feeling that Ginoza might have known about what his father was doing. He probably didn’t say anything out of fear of being next.

“Gino it wouldn’t be a good idea to revisit the place where it all happened.” I calmly advise. I don’t know why he even wants to go back there but Pops would be furious if I would allow Ginoza to go back there.

“I just want to get my books…” He tells me and that rather odd. I told him that Pops is making arrangements for his things to be brought to Quantico. His books will follow.

“Arrangements to have your things transported to Quantico have been made. Everything that belongs to you, all of your belongings will follow you.” I tell him and add, “I promise, you won’t lose your books.”

“I’m not afraid to lose my books… I can always replace them if they get lost.” He quickly responds back a bit too sharp in my taste. I wonder what Pops would have to say if he was here to observe Ginoza’s behavior right now. “I need something to get lost into to escape…” He quickly adds and that makes sense but I seriously doubt it that he will read much of it. I have more of a feeling that he wants something he can use to just block us out. For him to use something to prevent us from interrogating him and if so, it makes me believe even more that he has something to hide. Ginoza knows something that he’s not saying.

“Okay, I get it but we can’t stay long.” I tell him and for the first time he gives me a light smile. He feels genuine, I don’t think it’s an act. Perhaps he really wants his books but maybe if I push him in the right ways, perhaps I might be able to get a bit more information out of him. Pops might not like it but perhaps taking Ginoza to his home might make him open up more.


End file.
